I am so excited to have teamed up with Stephanie from The Unknown Journey for her Mamah’s Day series. Mamah’s Day is a month long series of posts dedicated to mamas. This week is on self care.
Trying and failing to integrate various strategies to see what worked for me and my family.
One of the things I struggled with as a young mama, was nourishing myself adequately. Nourishing to me means to love my body and feel strong in every move I make. This includes exercise, healthy and wholesome food and lots of laughter and self reflection. It was not uncommon for me to spend hours cutting and steaming veggies for baby food and then be too tired to make a decent meal for myself. This led to outrageous cravings and low energy, which meant I would skip workouts. I was moody. I was tired. And it did not make me the parent I could have been. The last thing I felt was strong, physically and mentally.
So I worked on it.
I know I needed to be active; it made me feel phenomenal! So there were days I woke up extra early to do a quick sweat session before J went to work. There were days I tried to fit it in while baby played. We also hit up childminding at the local gym, and this one was the one that stuck with me most.
Food was a huge one. I wasn’t fueling my body properly on days I was working out which led to poor performance and exhaustion. Allowing family to help with meals, planning and making wise choices all contributed to a well nourished body.
Laughing with friends is what I loved and missed out on in the beginning. It was challenging to hang out with them when I had Kaitlyn, as she was pretty clingy and as a first time mom, I felt guilt. But I had to remember to put my self care first to parent better and have energy for my friendships.
After I learned how to fuel and nourish, I finally felt like me again! The key to feeling your best is to be prepared. Having things on hand will fuel you properly for the day and your workouts. Below, I share three simple tips and recipes that can help you get through a busy week.
Be sure to share your fave ways to fuel and nourish on the go in the comments below.
1. Hard Boiled Eggs
Protein is what builds strength in muscles. It also keeps you satiated and stabilizes your blood sugar. Eggs are by far the easiest and quickest to prepare. Add an apple or some veg sticks and you’ve got a balanced meal.
Time saving tip: boil 5-10 eggs and you have them ready to grab and go for the whole week.
2. Mini Omlettes
Mini egg omlettes cooked in large batches are very high in protein and nutrition dense. So easy to prep on the weekend so they are ready during the week.
Ingredients
5 whole eggs
1.5 C egg whites (or use 4 more whole eggs)
Coconut oil for greasing pan
Toppings of your choice, cut small: assorted herbs (thyme, oregano, basil), shredded zuchinni, tomatoes, scallion, ham/bacon, bell peppers, goat cheese/cheddar/parmesan, mushrooms, red chili flakes
Method
1. Preheat oven at 350.
2. Mix all ingredients together, reserve some cheese for the top if using.
3. Grease muffin tin with coconut oil well to prevent sticking.
4. Scoop egg into each tin and top with remaining cheese.
5. Place in oven for 12-15 minutes. Keep checking to make sure it doesn’t overcook or it could get rubbery and dry. They are done when there isn’t a ‘vigourous’ jiggle in the middle when you shake the tray and it bounces back when you touch it.
Time saving tip: As you cut veggies for dinner, put some aside in a bowl to make these muffins. Chop once = two meals!
3. Mango Slushy + Honey Drizzle
This is one of my kids’ FAVOURITES! It is hydrating and its simple sugars are great fuel for sports practice. It is absolutely divine for a warm day. What I love about this particular recipe is that it uses simple ingredients, easy to put together and it actually tastes delicious! This is also a fun one for kids to get involved with. Liv, 6 years old, loves working the blender with me. If you’re kids aren’t absolutely repulsed by green things, feel free to add in a handful of spinach – I promise they won’t even taste it!
(Note: the spinach will turn this slushy green!)
Ingredients
2C frozen mango (I used Moov from Costco)
1C ice
2 tbsp hemp hearts (Optional. It adds extra nutrients but undetectable)
1C pure apple juice
Honey (Optional. I used manuka honey for its healing properties)
Spinach (Optional. Note: adding spinach will turn your smoothie green)
Method
1. Blend everything in a high powered blender. It may need to be scraped down or mixed midway through.
2. Drizzle with manuka honey.
Nourish Through Movement 